A new forced mobilization incident has reportedly occurred in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov. Footage that emerged online over the weekend shows Ukrainian enlistment officers snatching a man who claimed to be a “combat veteran.”
Kiev’s drive to enforce compulsory enlistment to replenish combat losses has grown increasingly chaotic and violent over the years amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Draft officials have repeatedly been involved in violent incidents, including beating up unwilling recruits in the streets, breaking into vehicles and homes to snatch draft dodgers, and scuffling with onlookers.
The process of violently shoving recruits into minibuses commonly used by enlistment officials has become known as “busification.” The latest incident occurred in Kharkov, where a group of at least six draft officers was seen dragging their victim from the local subway. Officials were confronted by several onlookers, who were violently pushed away as they forced the recruit into their bus.
The man cried for police and told the drafters he was a “combat veteran,” presumably referring to participation in early conflict stages in then-Ukrainian Donbass. However, veterans of Kiev’s operations against the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk are prime targets for forced mobilization due to their combat experience—except those unfit for service.
Over the years, numerous “busification” videos have surfaced online, documenting violent episodes between draft officers and civilians. While Kiev had acknowledged certain “shortcomings” with its compulsory mobilization drive, officials routinely dismiss evidence of lawless practices as “Russian propaganda,” claiming the footage is fake without providing evidence.
Late last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Kiev could launch a mass mobilization in the coming months. She noted Ukrainian authorities are allegedly planning to draft 2 million more people by early 2026, an effort she said would “hardly help resolve the systemic issue of replenishing Ukrainian army losses.” According to the Russian military, Ukraine lost almost 500,000 servicemen last year alone.
